Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Browallia plant named &#39;UNHBR18&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Browallia  plant named ‘UNHBR 18,’  characterized by numerous single flowers that are white in color, compact and rounded growth habit, stems that do not break or separate on the center of the mature plant, and good performance in partial shade in the garden and as a hanging basket.

GOVERNMENT SPONSORSHIP

The present invention was funded in part by the USDA/Cooperative StateResearch, Education and Extension Service, of the United StatesGovernment Under Contract No. 01-90015-0420.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

Browallia plant named ‘UNHBR18’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofBrowallia plant, botanically known as Browallia speciosa, andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘UNHBR18’.

The new Browallia is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Durham, N.H. The objective of the breeding program isto create new compact Browallia plants with attractive flowers in arange of colors, profuse flowering and reduced fruit set.

The new ‘UNHBR18’ originated from a hybridization made by the Inventoron Jul. 11, 2001 between a proprietary selection of Browallia speciosacode UNH BR10-13, not patented, used as female, and a proprietaryselection of Browallia speciosa code BROW5-1, not patented, used asmale. Seed was sown on Sep. 20, 2001. From the segregating progeny, asingle plant BR1-15-9, later coded as ‘UNHBR18’ was selected in Durham,N.H., USA, on the basis of its profuse flowering, compact growth habitand attractive flowers.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttingssince January 2002 taken in Durham, N.H. has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Browallia are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar ‘UNHBR18’ have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, light intensity anddaylength without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘UNHBR18’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘UNHBR18’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Numerous single flowers that are white in color.    -   2. Compact and rounded plant growth habit.    -   3. Stems do not break or separate on the center of the mature        plant.    -   4. Good performance in partial shade in the garden and as a        hanging basket.

Of the Browallia cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar to‘UNHBR18’ is seed propagated Browallia speciosa ‘Silver Bells’ notpatented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Durham, N.H., plantsof Browallia speciosa ‘Silver Bells’ grown from seed exhibit some traitvariation. Primarily, plants of the new Browallia differed from plantsof Browallia speciosa ‘Silver Bells’ in the following characteristics:

1. Flowers of plants of the new Browallia were about 0.5 cm larger thanflowers of ‘Silver Bells’.

2. Lateral branches in the new Browallia were about 5 cm shorter thanbranches of ‘Silver Bells’.

-   -   3. Mature plants on the new Browallia had a more compact and        rounded growth habit than mature plants of ‘Silver Bells’, which        tended to break up open on the center and give an empty        appearance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Browallia.

One photograph comprises a side perspective view of one typicalfive-month 20-cm container of ‘UNHBR18’ with three plants.

A second photograph is a close-up view of typical flowers and leaves of‘UNHBR18’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Durham, N.H., in a heatedgreenhouse with 21° C. day/18° C. night set points. After plantingrooted cuttings, plants were grown for about three months in 20-cmcontainers with three plants per container. Color references are made toThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Color wasevaluated under indirect, natural light.

-   Botanical classification: Browallia hybrid cultivar ‘UNHBR18’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Browallia speciosa            code UNHBR10-13, not patented.        -   Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Browallia speciosa            code BROW5-1, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About seven days at 21° C.        -   Time to develop roots.—About 15 days at 21° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white, color 155D.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Annual flowering plant; moderately vigorous; compact            plant habit; uniformly mounded plant form. Freely branching            habit with lateral branches potentially forming at very            node. Continuous flowering, day neutral.        -   Plant height.—About 23 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread), single plant.—About 60 cm.        -   Vigor.—Moderately vigorous.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: 10-14 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Internode length: 1.5-3 cm. Texture: Glabrous. Color: 144A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate. Length: About            3-4 cm. Width: 1.3-1.7 cm. Shape: Elliptic to lanceolate.            Apex: Acute. Base: Rounded. Margin: Ciliolate. Texture:            Smooth, but upper surface has sparse minute hairs; lower            surface has very minute hairs on midrib and secondary veins.            Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves, upper            and lower surfaces: 143A. Fully expanded leaves, upper            surface: 137A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 143A.            Venation, upper surface: 137A; Venation, lower surface:            146A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Salverform; single, axillary. Flowers            face outward at foliage level. Flowers not fragrant. Very            freely flowering, typically about two open flowers and two            flower buds per lateral branch at one time.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower from April to            October in the Northern Hemisphere until frost in the            autumn; flowering continuous during this period. Plants will            flower under short or long days in a greenhouse.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About seven days.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: 4.5 cm. Depth (height from base of            the calyx): 3-3.5 cm.        -   Flower buds (showing color).—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter:            About 4 mm. Shape: Oblong. Color: 145B.        -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Salverform corolla, five petal            lobes fused in a star shape. Ocassionally six lobes. Petal            length: About 1.5 cm. Petal width: About 1-2 cm. Shape:            Star. Apex: Rounded. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, with longitudinal            venation. Color: When opening, upper surface: 157D. When            opening, lower surface: 145D. Fully opened, upper surface:            155C. Fully opened, lower surface: 155C; lower center: 145C.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Five sepals. Length: About            4 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: ovate. Apex: Very acute.            Base: Fused. Margin: Ciliolate. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Glandulose. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144B.            Total calyx length: About 2 cm.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2.5-3 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Angle:            About 45° from the main stem. Strength: Moderately strong.            Texture: With very fine, sparse hairs. Color: 144B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four, 2            long and 2 short. Anthers on the long stamens are visible in            the center of the tube, and are covered with a white fuzz.            Anther shape: Kidney, with two theca. Anther length: About            1 mm. Anther width: About 0.8 mm. Anther color: 17B. Pollen            amount: Abundant. Pollen color: 4C. Pistils: Quantity per            flower: One. Pistil length: About 2 cm. Style length: About            1.2 cm. Style color: 145C. Stigma shape: Round. Stigma            color: 144B. Ovary color: 144B.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and/or fruit production is moderate under            open pollination with other Browallia plants. About 40%            fruit set observed from manual self pollination.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Browallia have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Browallia.-   Garden performance: ‘UNHBR18’ has good tolerance to drought    conditions and will recover well from wilt. Better growth and    flowering is seen under part-shade conditions.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Browallia plant named ‘UNHBR18’ asillustrated and described.